PH films in Tokyo and Portugal fests

Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo’s short film “Ang Paghihintay sa Bulong (Waiting to Whisper)” was shown at the 10th Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, held in Tokyo recently. Bernardo’s film was hailed as a “delightful, funny, black-humored family comedy.”

According to its website, the fest screens films that are “extensions of the filmmaker … [but] are stamped with certain Asian qualities at the same time.” The fest is described as “a place where [viewers and filmmakers] can spread their wings and become engrossed in different points of view.”

Meanwhile, Filipino filmmaker Ian Loreños’ “Alagwa (Breakaway)” vies for the top prize in the feature film section of the 9th Fest: Festival Internacional Cinema Joven (New Directors, New Films Festival), to be held in Espinho, Portugal, from June 24 to July 1.

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“ANG PAGHIHINTAY sa Bulong”

The fest’s website said the “independent drama stands out from the rest for its capacity to create a balance between an action thriller about human trafficking and a family drama about a single father.”

The site praised the “wonderful performance” of lead actor Jericho Rosales and the movie for being “intensive, striking and dramatic … [it] proves that Philippine cinema goes well beyond a single talent in the film fest circuit.”